A Year and a Day
by Gilded Lily
Summary: [Seventh Doctor] Thirteen drabbles for a year and a day in the life. Drabbles containing SevenAce will be noted as such.
1. January

Title: A Year and a Day  
Characters: The Seventh Doctor and Ace  
Rating: PG  
Genre: Genres included in this collection are Gen, Humor, and Romance  
Summary: Thirteen drabbles for a year and a day in the life.  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Damn it.  
Notes: This segment contains Seven/Ace

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"Here we go!"

The crowd cheers loudly and so do they.

"Ten...nine..."

She beams at him, taking her hands in his. Around them, the crowd closes in. Pressing in closer, pushing them up close to each other.

"Eight...seven..."

He can't help but smile back. He squeezes her hands.

"Six...five..."

She says something to him, something he can't make out over the noise of the crowd.

"Four...three..."

He says something back, something he knows she can't hear.

"Two...ONE"

In the last second between the old and the new, she leans into him and kisses him. And everything changes.

"Happy New Year!"

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	2. February

See Notes and Disclaimers in the first chapter.

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"Beats pink paint and fairy glitter," Ace said thoughtfully.

"Hmm?"

She put the green and fuzzy homemade Valentines bag back on the shelf with the others. "When I was in school, my teacher made my class do the same project."

"And you wanted nothing to do pink paint and fairy glitter," the Doctor surmised with a smile.

Ace turned and looked at him. He knew her far too well. "Teacher took my matches," she said. "So I settled for cutting my bag to pieces."

He just shook his head. Smiling widely, she asked him what they were doing in this particular school. 


	3. March

See Notes and Disclaimers in the first chapter.

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The second time it became tangled in a tree, she was done.

The Doctor was laughing at her. She was sure of it. Annoyed, Ace rounded on him.

"Well then you try it," she huffed.

"I have," the Doctor told her. "On Serentis." He looked up, a faraway look in his eyes. "The yearly competition. Mine was one of hundreds of every size, every color. Blocking the sun, breaking the clouds. Floating on the air."

She asked the first question to come to her practical mind. "Didn't the strings get tangled?"

He frowned, but he took the kite from her.

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	4. April

See Notes and Disclaimers in the first chapter.

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Ace was trying not to laugh. She hid it behind her hand, but he could see it sparkling in her eyes.

"You can't be serious," she said.

He affected an affronted look. "Ace, I am always serious," he said gravely. She did burst out laughing then.

"You did that," she wheezed through her fingers.

"One of me, yes."

"You. An April Fools joke."

He smiled at the memory. "That self possessed an odd sense of humor. Not to mention an even odder sense of," he paused for effect, "timing."

"So nothing's changed then," Ace said instantly, proving hers was perfect.

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	5. May

Note: This drabbles references the Fifth Doctor serial _The Awakening_.

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"This is stupid," Ace snapped at him.

She was growing more frustrated by the second. The Doctor took her hands from her hair and gently put them at her sides.

"It isn't stupid, Ace. It's local custom," he corrected her. He deftly untangled the flowers from her hair. "And it's going rather well this time. " With a flourish, he placed the garland on her head.

"This time," Ace echoed.

"Yes," he said. "Considering..." he paused. "Considering my last companion chosen as Queen of the May was nearly burnt at the stake afterward. "

Ace took the garland off again. 

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	6. June

Note: Vaguely Seven/Ace. If you squint sideways or are already so inclined to see it that way.

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"Hello Ace," he greeted. He sat down beside her on the lawn. "Grew tired of the party, did you?"

She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm beat," she agreed. "Being a bridesmaid is hard work in a horrid dress." He laughed as she yawned. "Makes me glad I'm never doing any of this."

"This?" he asked.

Ace waved a dismissive hand. "Wedding stuff. I don't think people need a ceremony to belong to each other."

He smiled at her. "You're a product of your time," he teased. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders."However, Ace?"

"Hmmm?"

"Neither do I."

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	7. July

See Notes and Diclaimer in Part One

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"You said I could chose one," Ace reminded him. "Don't you remember?"

"I remember," he told her. "However, I will not have _that_ on the TARDIS. That has disaster and disruption written all over it. Put it back Ace."

"But Doctor," she tried one last time. "The bang is supposed to be impressive."

The girl and her explosions. "Ace, the value of fireworks is in the aesthetics, not in the "bang"," he explained yet again. Ace frowned at him. "Now put that down and go and find something else."

He watched her go- straight back to the mortar shells.

"Ace..."

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	8. August

See Notes and Diclaimer in Part One

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"I'm hot," Ace complained.

They sat on a dock, literally waiting for their ship to come in. The Doctor looked over Ace. A fine layer of sweat shone on her skin. Her clothes stuck to her body. She fussed with her hair, pushing it off her neck.

"You're not hot," she noticed.

"The benefit of a lower body temperature," he explained. Ace shrugged. She pulled at her shirt...

...and pulled it off over her head. The Doctor turned away quickly. A moment later, he heard a splash. "Better?" he called over his shoulder.

"Much!"

It was then the ship arrived.

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	9. September

Note: Just a touch of Seven/Ace.

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"Having fun?"

Ace laughed. Only the Doctor could sit fully clothed on the beach and not look ridiculous or uncomfortable.

"Loads," she said. "My tan is going to be impressive. You?"

He nodded. "The seaside in September is ideal. The weather's fine. The tourists have mostly gone." His eyes skimmed the little bit of blue nothing the sales girl had dared to call a swimsuit. "Although you might prefer more company."

Ace lowered her sunglasses to look at him. "I have all the company I need," she told him pointedly.

He pushed the sunglasses back up and smiled at her.

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	10. October

See Notes and Disclaimer in the first chapter.

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"A ghost? On the TARDIS?"

The Doctor didn't look up from the console. "Oh yes," he said. "I've often thought so."

"Why?" she asked.

He tapped another button. "The usual incidents; missing items, things left in one place and found in another."

"Sounds just like the TARDIS," Ace teased. "Why blame a ghost?" The Doctor didn't respond. "I've never seen it," she said after a moment.

"Hmmmm," murmered the Doctor. "Nor have I."

"What, you haven't gone looking?" That seemed unusual.

"No," he said shortly. "I don't think I want to find it."

Later, she realized he had his reasons. 

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	11. November

See Notes and Disclaimer in Part One

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"Doctor," Ace said. "What's all this?"

"St. Anne's Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless," he answered.

Ace sat down beside him. "You know what I mean. It's not our usual scene."

The Doctor considered her. "It's not as grand, is it. As exciting and gratifying?" he asked shrewdly.

Ace frowned. "That's not what I meant. It just seems...ordinary."

He passed her a plate. "Is it really though?" he wondered. "One of the people we helped feed today could save the world." He smiled knowingly. "Or at least a country or two."

A suspicion occurred to Ace. "Doctor..."

"Have some turkey Ace."

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	12. December

See Notes and Disclaimer in Part One

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"Ace, we need to have a talk."

Ace looked up from her latest project. "'Bout what? I haven't..."

"...destroyed portions of the TARDIS in weeks," he finished for her. "Yes, I know. This discussion concerns another matter entirely."

Ace went back to what she'd been doing. "Thought it might."

He stepped up beside her. "I approve of the tree in the library," he told her. "I'm curious as to how it came to be snowing in the cloisters. However, Ace ..."

"Yea?"

He fingered the gold garland looped around the console. "This should be silver."

Her smile outshone the tinsel. 

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	13. And A Day

Note: And we reach the end. Hope you enjoyed at least a few of these. They were so much fun that I'm considering using the same concept for the Fifth Doctor and Tegan. If I have time after my move, I probably will.

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The smell of cigar smoke rolled out into the hallway. Ace heard the rumble of male conversation, and listened for the familiar voice among the noise.

He found her first. The Doctor took her by the elbow and lead her out of the study.

"You found it," he guessed.

"I found it," Ace confirmed. "We leaving 1854 now?"

"I'm afraid not." Ace stopped and looked at him, exasperated. "As of five seconds ago, it is now the Year of Our Lord 1855." He smiled at her. "Happy New Year Ace."

Ace stomped off as fast as her skirts would allow.

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End file.
